


Falling Alone, Flying Together

by JustAndrea



Category: Batman - All Media Types, The LEGO Batman Movie (2017)
Genre: Cartoony violence, Father-Son Relationship, Gen, Mentions of Death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-29
Updated: 2017-03-29
Packaged: 2018-10-12 15:16:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,524
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10493718
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JustAndrea/pseuds/JustAndrea
Summary: Maybe it had been too much to expect that he would completely get over it once he found a new family, but even so… he still wished it didn’t hurt this much. But thankfully, when it comes to this type of pain, he’s not alone.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Okay so, I know the death of Robin’s parents wasn’t really elaborated on in the movie - considering how they died, that’s understandable that they wouldn’t talk about it much in a kids movie - but I still feel like he’d be effected by it. So, this is just a quick oneshot centered around that, with some Batdad and birb son moments too. Enjoy!

It had been a pretty peaceful night so far. The only crime committed had been a couple attempted robberies - and the robbers didn’t even have any guns! Just a baseball bat and a hockey stick. Of course, once they saw that it was the infamous Dark Knight and Boy Wonder after them and not just the police, they gave themselves up pretty quickly. 

Despite the lack of crime however, Batman still insisted on sticking around, just in case. Leave it to the Batman to always have his guard up, even when nothing was going wrong. But Dick didn’t mind at all. Whether they were in Wayne Manor or in the Batmobile parked in some alley, as long as he was with his padre, it would still be a fun time.

Currently the two of them were listening to the police scanner, waiting to see if any other crimes would pop up that night. Although, since there wasn’t much going on tonight, Batman allowed Robin to quietly listen to one of his favorite pop music stations on the radio, just so they wouldn’t be too bored. The Dynamic Duo had also made a quick stop at a nearby gas station, with Batman grabbing a coffee and Robin happily snatching up a couple packs of mini sandwich-cookies. 

As he took another sip of his coffee, the Dark Knight narrowed his eyes a bit. “Something big is going to happen tonight…”

“Mm?” Robin swallowed his bite before looking at him curiously, “You think so?”

“Yes,” Batman replied firmly, “I can feel it in my guts… My super tuned-into-my-instincts bat-guts that are totally _never_ wrong.”

“Huh…” His son thought for a couple moments as he chewed on another cookie, “Who do you think will try something tonight? Two-Face? Mr. Freeze?”

Batman gave a small hum. “Nah, it’s going to be something _big_. And unfortunately, there’s only one villain in this city who could pull off something that’s both big, memorable AND destructive.”

Robin nodded as he quickly made a serious face to match his father’s. “Yeah, no doubt about that, Batdad… But-” He started to smile, his eager determination clearly shining through. “-even if it is big, we’ll still be able to take care of it, no problem! Right?”

Unable to help himself, Batman smirked back at him. “Right. We just have to keep on our toes and wait for him to strike. Wait for an explosion, or a siren, or-”

Suddenly, there was a noise. It almost sounded like a scream, followed by an explosion - though it didn’t really sound like the explosions they were used to hearing on the job. Eyes wide, Robin stood up on his seat and pressed his face to the windshield, trying to get the best look at it. “…Or a fireworks display?” he asked, finishing the sentence.

Batman blinked. “A… wait, _what?_ Ugh, hang on a sec.” Pressing a button, a small section of the Batmobile’s roof opened up, allowing the hero to poke his head up through it and see what was going on. As he did this, two more fireworks - a yellow and a green one - were launched up into the sky and mixed with the purple one that had just exploded. 

“Um, can fireworks be filled with laughing gas?” Robin asked, looking confused, as well as a bit concerned. He didn’t really mind the Joker - especially since he did help them save Gotham several months ago - but he still knew the clown was pretty dangerous when it came to his schemes.

As he watched the sparks and ashes of the fireworks fall while two more were launched to take their place, Batman shook his head. “No… But they can attract people’s attention.” Specifically, _his_ attention. “Looks like Joker’s doing another one of his ‘grand show’ schemes.” The hero still remembered the parade with the Prince music all those years ago. There had also been the gameshow and the casino, and of course plenty of carnivals. 

So, the question was: Just what did this psychotic jester have in store for them tonight?

Fortunately, they didn’t have to wait too long for an answer. As soon as Batman sat back down in his seat, both the radio and the police scanner cut out, producing nothing but static for a couple seconds. As soon as the static cleared, a familiar and gleefully evil voice began to speak. 

 _“Hello there, Gotham City! Guess who~? Come on, go ahead and guess! No idea? Well, time’s up - IT’S ME! The Joker!”_ The Joker then let out a laugh, though neither Batman nor Robin were too intimidated by it (in fact, Batman just rolled his eyes at it).

 _“I’d like to announce a special one-night only event!”_ Joker continued as bouncy music began playing in the background,  _“Just a little something I’d like to call-”_ There was a long drumroll.  _“… **Joker’s Big-Top Bonanza!** Ha! Hilarious, right?”_

Robin’s eyes widened. “Big top…”

“Bonanza?” Batman repeated, raising an eyebrow, “The heck is-? Wait. Big top? If it’s a big top, then that means-”

“-He’s probably got a circus set up somewhere…” his sidekick/son quietly finished for him.

“Huh… I’m actually surprised that this is his first circus-themed scheme. What with the whole clown shtick and everything. What, did he just forget that circuses existed until just now?”

“I guess,” Robin shrugged. Again, the boy’s voice was quiet, and instead of watching the radio, he was now looking down at the floor of the car.

Given that he had made quite an improvement on his parenting skills in the past few months, perhaps Batman would have asked him if he was alright. Unfortunately, the Joker’s announcement wasn’t finished yet, and Batman couldn’t afford to miss any details. So, he listened on. 

 _“Now I realize this is kind of short notice, but good news Gothamites: You’re **not** the ones I’m inviting!”_ The Joker then paused as a recording of a disappointed audience going “Awww” played. 

_“Oh, but don’t fret! After tonight’s performance, I suspect I’ll have two new members of my big top that I’ll be GLAD to show off for tomorrow’s early morning show - which will be in the center of the city! No having to worry about parking fees here! Buuut until then, our show’s going to be just outside the south side of Gotham… So come and get me, Batman~”_

With that, the radio returned to static, which Batman quickly turned off, growling slightly as he did. Without much of an element of surprise on their part, there was no doubt that the Joker would have plenty of dangerous tricks and traps awaiting them in that giant circus tent of his… 

But the heroes didn’t have a choice! “I guess we’ll just have to make sure this circus performance is one night only!” Batman declared as he narrowed his eyes, “Ready, Robin? …Robin?”

“Huh? Oh, uh, yeah,” Robin nodded, glancing up slightly, “I’m ready.” 

The Dark Knight stared at him for a moment. That definitely wasn’t his son’s usual level of enthusiasm… Especially when compared to how determined and excited he had been just a few minutes ago. “Uh, everything oka-?”

“Yeah!” Robin replied quickly - almost a little too quickly - as he forced a smile, “Now, come on, Batdad! Let’s go take that clown down!”

“…Right,” Batman mumbled as he started the car, still keeping an eye on the Boy Wonder as he did so, “Yeah, let’s go.” 

The car ride was silent yet quick, and thanks to the garishness of the Joker’s circus set-up (completely with bright spotlights and more fireworks going off every few minutes), their greatest enemy’s location was very easy to find even without an actual address. And as soon as the tires of the Batmobile screeched to a halt, the Dynamic Duo jumped out and started making a run for the biggest tent - no doubt the one that the Joker would be hiding in.  

“Keep your guard up!” Batman ordered as they ran. The hero had already taken out a bat-a-rang and was preparing for the worst.

“I’m on it, Padre!” Robin shouted back at him. He glanced around at their colorful surroundings. There didn’t look like there were any circus cannons set up, or circus animals hiding and waiting to attack, or- …Or…

The Boy Wonder slowed slightly as he really started to take in the sights - the all too familiar sights for him. Smaller tents that would usually be used as dressing rooms, numerous barrels that someone his size could (and did) use to help him jump high and practice flips. Even the cheesy circus music that was playing in the background was familiar…

“Ugh!” He shook his head. “Come on, Grayson!” He had to focus on the mission! After all, Batman would never let familiar stuff like this get in his way! 

…Though, speaking of Batman, he did briefly glance back at his son as he heard this - and again, he felt a pinch of concern. But unfortunately, there just wasn’t enough time to deal with it now, so he made a note to talk to Robin about it later. 

As they got closer to the grand center-ring of the Joker’s scheme, various traps started going off beside them. Catapults that threw acid-filled pies, machines that formed sticky (and suffocating) clouds of cotton candy, and (of course) plenty of laughing gas-filled balloons that popped at random. 

Thankfully, with enough skill and precision, these were all easily dodged by the two heroes - and without anything else to stop them, Batman and Robin pushed their way through the fabric ‘doors’, into the tent - and right into a spotlight.

“Well, well, well! Glad you two could finally make it!” Joker’s voice greeted, though it was hard to tell where it was coming from. 

“It’s not like we really had a choice,” Batman retorted as he and Robin got into fighting positions, “Now show yourself so we can-”

Joker tsk tsk’d at him. “Not so fast, Batsy! After all, this is a circus! We can’t just have one of our normal fights! We have to turn it into a real showstopper! Buuut, I guess if you _really_ want to fight me that badly… You’ll just have to come and get me!”

With that, all the lights in the tent came up - allowing the duo to see everything that was set up around them. Along with Harley Quinn, there must have been at least fifty other hired minions there, all wearing clown make-up with weapons in hand, ready to fight! 

As for the Joker, he just stood on a high platform above them in the center, wearing a ringmaster’s top hat just for the occasion as laughed. “Although, you may have to get through my funny friends first! Haha! A pretty great crew, don’t you think?”

“Tc’ch, I’ve seen better,” Batman retorted, far from being intimidated despite being clearly outnumbered. But what did that matter? He was Batman! With his fighting skills and his sidekick to help him out, he would have no problem taking all of them out

However, while Batman was focusing on their soon-to-be opponents, Robin was barely looking at them. No, instead his eyes had been caught by the simple trapeze set-up above them. He hadn’t seen a trapeze since… 

Hearing that Robin had gone quiet once again, Batman figured that now would be a good time to give out some good ol’ fatherly encouragement. That would help, right? “Don’t get too intimidated, kid” he told him quietly as he stretched his legs a bit, “I mean, if you could fight off a ton of villains from a prison dimension, then I know that you can do this!” 

“Oh, uh, right…” Robin nodded, forcing his eyes away from the trapeze and giving his father another small smile, “Yeah.” 

“Ugh, okay okay, enough stalling already!” the Joker shouted from above, impatiently tapping his foot a bit, “You’re the one who wanted to fight, Batman! So either come up here and fight me, or you could just entertain me instead!”

A nearby clown minion grinned at his cue and got out a throwing knife - but before it could even be thrown, it was knocked out of his hand by a bat-a-rang. “No thanks!” Batman shouted back, “I don’t think it’ll take us too long to get up there, with or without stalling!” With that, he and Robin ran out onto the circus floor, their own fists and weapons at the ready.

Despite the Dark Knight’s boasting though, the Joker just smirked back at him. “Hmph, we’ll see about that~”

The fight started almost instantly. When the two weren’t dodging fists, they were dodging things being thrown at them from above - from more throwing knives, to juggler pins and balls, to even peanuts! 

Luckily, Robin’s bo-staff made knocking these objects away easy! “I’ve got your back, Padre!” Robin told him, narrowing his eyes a bit as he batted away another ball. 

 ***POW!*** “Thanks, Boy-Wonder!” Batman replied over his shoulder while his opponent fell to the floor. Two more clowns ran towards him, but the hero was quickly able to grab hold of them. ***BAM! SMACK!***

Still trying to focus on giving his father cover, Robin couldn’t help but glance back up at the trapeze. Most of the minions were standing on the platforms, wanting a better opportunity to properly aim. However, he could see a couple of them - with guns, no less! - start to pull the trapeze rope towards them and grab hold of it…

“Hey!” The boy flinched slightly at his Batman’s sudden yell, though he quickly figured out that the call hadn’t been for him. Instead it was for the various circus minions who, rather than trying to attack them, were now racing past them. “I guess you spent so much on the decoration and atmosphere here that you had to cheap out on the hired help,” Batman commented as he looked back up at the Joker’s center platform.

The Clown Prince of Crime however just rolled his eyes. “Oh come on, Bats, I thought you were one of the smart heroes! You should know that you can’t have just one act in a Big-Top Bonanza! That would be BORING! And I don’t do boring. But fear not, our next act is coming right now, and it’s sure to knock you off your feet~!”

There was a honk, and the Dynamic Duo quickly turned around. Needless to say, they were pretty shocked to see not one, not three, but a little over a _dozen_ clowns on roller skates and unicycles - and even a few of them in a clown car! - barreling towards them. And of course, dressed in a brand-new sparkly jester outfit with her own skates shined, Harley was leading the pack.

“Hey Bats!” she shouted as she started to get out her giant hammer, “Didn’t that butler of yours ever tell you not to play in the street?!”

Batman growled, and with really no other option, he and Robin started to run. “Just keep moving!” he shouted to his sidekick, “Serpentine, serpentine!”

“On- EEP!” Robin yelled as he just barely avoided getting run over by a unicycle, “O-On it, Batdad!

With how many obstacles there were to avoid, it was pretty crazy! However, the two heroes knew how to stay light on their feet. They would also make sure to knock down any clown that they could whenever they got the chance, just so they wouldn’t be able to quickly turn around and try to run them over again. 

Dealing with the clown car had been a bit difficult, since it was a bit too big to simply jump over, but with enough timing and speed, it was able to be dodged at least. A quick Bat-a-Rang in the tailpipe later, and it was down for the count! Even Harley’s destructive hammer was used against her, with Robin distracting her as a target while Batman grabbed the back end of it and used all his strength to swing it away - and taking Harley with it. 

Taking a moment to rest, the two heroes smiled at each other. “Looks like traffic is clear!” Robin announced.

“Heh, nice one, kid,” Batman nodded - though if he was being honest, the kid could still use a couple more ‘Cool One-Liners For Superheroes’ lessons. “Okay, now we just have to-”

Another sound pierced the air. However, this time it wasn’t a car or unicycle horn, but instead almost sounded like a trumpet or something. Slowly, the duo turned towards the one area of the circus floor that hadn’t been lit up, and watched as an absolutely huge figure emerged from the darkness. Its tiny eyes glaring, its trunk - slow but powerful - already swinging, and as it came to a halt, it started to stomp and dig its foot into the ground like an angry bull. 

“Holy pachyderm,” Robin mumbled, taking a couple steps back.

Batman on the other hand just threw his hands up in the air in exasperation. “SERIOUSLY?!” he shouted, and the Joker just laughed and laughed. It looked like he really had gone all out with this scheme. 

“Come on, Jumbo!” the Joker yelled, “It’s playtime!” The elephant let out another mighty call, preparing to charge. They certainly couldn’t run away from it, it would catch up to them in a matter of seconds! Even splitting up would still lead to one of them probably getting flattened! So, they would just have to go with plan B.

“Ready, Robin?” Batman asked, holding out his hand. 

Putting on a determined face, Robin looked at him. “Ready!” He took his father’s hand, while his other hand gripped his bo-staff tightly. The elephant began to run towards them… and Batman and Robin ran towards it.

The Joker blinked. “Whoa, never thought I’d see the Bat play chicken with an elephant!” he commented as he pulled a bucket of popcorn from out of nowhere, “But hey, I’m not complaining!” 

The three of them were getting closer, with the elephant of course being much faster. However, it wasn’t until they were a mere few feet apart that the Dynamic Duo put their plan into action. 

Stabbing his bo-staff into the ground, Robin propelled both himself and Batman up into the air, the two of them just _narrowly_ missing the elephant’s head. Instead, they landed on its back for just a split second, using it as a jumping off point to jump even higher and farther - just far enough to grab onto the ladder that led to the Joker’s platform.

“…” Looking down at them with his sharp-toothed mouth agape, the Joker barely even noticed when he dropped his popcorn out of shock. 

“Well, with that super-cool stunt out of the way,” Batman started to say as he gave another smirk, “How’s about we take the express way up?” 

“Sounds like a good idea to me!” Robin nodded. They got out their grappling hooks and shot them upwards, hooking them into the fabric ceiling. 

Growling, the Joker turned his attention back to the minions on the surrounding platforms. “Alright guys, let’s give them one last trick before the grand finale!”

Hearing a chorus of “Right, boss!” both Batman and Robin turned to see what the clowns were up to - but only Robin’s eyes widened at the sight. 

Just as he had noticed before, some of the clown minions had switched from using simple weapons to actual guns. Not only that, but they were going to use the length and angle of the trapeze to try and get a better shot. Without any more hesitation, the clowns grabbed hold of the ropes and started swinging. “Pew pew!” “Pew pew pew!”

“Come on!” he heard Batman say, “Let’s give them a moving target!” Batman pressed the retract button on his Bat-grappling hook, and shot up into the sky. Pushing aside his anxieties the best he could, Robin did the same. 

“Pew pew pew!” Pewpewpew!” As he and his father continued towards the Joker - occasionally stopping or swinging to the other side of the platform, just to keep it hard for them to hit their enemies to hit their target - Robin watched the would-be assassins, unable to take his eyes off them. Though, it wasn’t because of fear. …At least, not out of fear for _himself._

With each of them using one hand to hold a gun, the minions didn’t exactly have the highest grip on the trapeze ropes. And despite all that he had set up, the Joker hadn’t bothered putting up a safety net. 

“They’re going to fall… T-They’re going to fall!”

“Huh?” Batman glanced back at him, “What’d you say, kid?”

“They’re-” There was a shout. Robin felt himself gasp as he saw the clown start to lose his grip. Of course, the minion dropped his gun in an attempt to regain his balance, but it was too late. 

For a moment, Robin felt the urge to swing forward while letting go of his grappling hook. To swing down and try to save the circus-themed minion, no matter how dangerous it might have been.

And for a moment, Robin didn’t see a faceless minion. Instead, he saw a man and a woman, dressed in matching red, acrobatic uniforms…

“WHOA!” Another nearby minion shouted. Before his fellow clown could fall more than just a foot or so, he was able to grab him, stopping his descent. Both of them then gave sheepish looks as the Joker yelled at them, saying something about “needing to be professional” and not make mistakes that could ruin the fun.

The hired clown-man was safe. No one was dead. …And yet Dick couldn’t stop shaking. 

“Alright, Joker,” Batman told his greatest enemy as he finally reached the platform, “It’s over. Your big ‘grand finale’ has been canceled.”

The Joker grinned as he got out a lion tamer’s whip. “We’ll see about that,” he replied, tipping his top hat a bit towards the Bat.

As Batman glared, he heard tiny feet land behind him. “Alright Robin,” he whispered, “I’ll take him on in front, and you try to knock him off balance from behind.”

“I-I-” Dick clenched his eyes shut for a moment. He could still see them falling, hear their screams in his ear. “B-Batdad, I-”

“What, do you want to go with the classic distraction plan instead?” Batman asked, still keeping his eyes focused on the Joker, “Well, if you think you can avoid that whip of is-”

“No, Padre, I- I need to-”

“Oh! Wait! New plan, we both take him on from the front and fight him at the same time! A full, head-on fight! That should tire him out.”

“But Batman-!”

“We just need to make sure to time our punches just right so he can’t land any hits on us.”

“Batman-!”

“Okay kid, on three. One, two-!”

“BRUCE!”

The entirety of the tent fell silent. Blinking, Batman turned to look at the boy - and was shocked at how frightened he looked. Even the Joker was surprised enough to go silent at the sight.

“Robin…?” Batman asked finally. 

Dick looked away. “I just - I’m sorry. I-I can’t stay here.” He was ashamed, but he couldn’t help it. He just couldn’t be there any longer. “I have to… to go h-home.” Considering where he was plus all the resurfacing memories, it took a moment for him to remember to call Wayne Manor his home. 

“But…” If his son hadn’t looked so frightened, maybe Batman would’ve been angry or annoyed with him for just bailing. But even if he wasn’t angry, he was still pretty confused. “Wait, Robin-”

But Dick just ignored him. Turning around and taking aim with his grappling hook once more, he fired, swung down back onto the circus floor, and ran out as fast as he could without another word. 

“…Wow… I mean, heh, I know I can be intimidating but… enough to call out for his other dad? Geez…” 

Batman glared at the Joker, despite the clown’s concerned look. It would seem that whatever the Joker had done to freak Dick out, it hadn’t been done on purpose. Sure, the Joker could definitely be cruel at times, but he had taken a liking to the Boy Wonder (as had most of the other villains in Gotham). He would still fight the kid, but he probably wouldn’t try to hurt him emotionally (or even hurt him too seriously physically) like he would with Batman.

Still, whether or not the Joker was in the wrong in this case, Batman still had a job to do and a circus to stop. So, the fight was back on…

Thankfully, the rest of their battle didn’t take too long, since neither of them were really in the mood to fight now. And, as soon as the GCPD had the Joker in their custody, Batman drove off in the Batmobile. Of course, without Robin there, the car was filled with a familiar yet still noticeable silence.

“…Hey, ‘Puter?” Batman spoke up as he got onto the highway.

There was a small chime.  ** _“What’s up?”_** the Bat Computer asked.

“Do you know if Dick made it home yet?”

 ** _“Okay, accessing Wayne Manor security footage.”_** There were a few moments of silence.  ** _“It looks like Dick is in his room.”_**

The Dark Knight gave a small sigh of relief. “Good, good. Thanks.” …Still, even with his son safely at home, Batman still couldn’t completely shake the worry he was feeling. “Just what was going on with him tonight?” he mumbled. He had been just fine, up until they heard about the Joker’s circus plan. And the longer they were there, the more upset Dick had gotten.

_“I just - I’m sorry. I-I can’t stay here. I have to go h-home.” “They’re going to fall. T-They’re going to fall!”_

“Hmm… ‘Puter?”  ** _“Yes?”_**  “Look up the family name ‘Grayson’. After a moment, he added, “And look it up with the word ‘Circus’ next to it.” 

The Bat Computer gave a small beep - a sort of quick “Yes Sir” - as it searched through the various databases that it could connect to in a matter of seconds. ‘Puter then beeped again. **_“I found a newspaper article that features ‘Grayson’ and ‘Circus’. Would you like me to read it?”_**

“Yeah,” the hero replied simply, though even if his tone was flat, he couldn’t help but be a bit curious.

 ** _“Okay… The date is from April 19th, 2015-”_ ** A little over two years ago. Dick probably would have been nine or ten years old then. **_“-And the article reads ‘Tragedy at Traveling Circus. Last night, the famous Haley’s Circus made a stop near Gotham City. Unfortunately, what started out as a fun and thrilled filled night ended in tragedy. One of the performers at Haley’s Circus was a family of acrobats known as The Flying Graysons.”_  **

Acrobats, huh? Given how skilled the kid was in both acrobatics and gymnastics (plus gymkata) and how it seemed like he was always climbing or jumping off of stuff, it wasn’t too surprising that Dick came from a whole family of acrobats.  ** _“The Flying Graysons - John and Mary Grayson, as well as their son who is still in training - were known for performing death-defying stunts without the aid of a safety net.”_** As soon as he heard that, Batman’s eyes widened. He could feel his heart start to sink a bit, and Alfred’s words from what felt like a lifetime ago began to echo through his mind. 

_“You two have a lot in common… He lost his parents at a young age.”_

**_“According to Mr. Haley, the two elder Graysons had been performing for years, and he never felt like they were truly putting themselves at risk because of how skillful they were. But it seems last night’s performance had nothing to do with the level of difficulty of the stunt. Numerous witness have confirmed that during the performance, one of the trapeze ropes broke just before John and Mary were able to land safely on the next platform and causing the two acrobats to fall, receiving fatal injuries. The reason for the equipment failure is still being investigated. The only survivor of the Flying Graysons act is John and Mary’s young son, who had been only a spectator during the performance, Rich-”_ **

Batman pressed the mute button on the radio, silencing ‘Puter. He didn’t need to hear anymore. “Dick…” 

Once he arrived home, Batman didn’t even bother driving through the Bat Cave. He could worry about parking the Batmobile later. For the time being, he just parked it in front of his manor, put it into ‘street mode’, and went inside.

“Sir?”Alfred asked, glancing up from his dusting as soon as he heard the front door open. Though, given how clean everything already was (plus the concerned look on his butler’s face), Batman could suspect that the older gentleman was just keeping himself busy. “I-”

“I need to talk to Dick,” Batman stated, his tone stern yet soft. Determined, yet caring. Understanding completely, Alfred stepped aside and gave his master a quiet “Good luck” as he went upstairs. 

Dick’s bedroom door was shut, and Batman couldn’t hear any noises. Not even sniffling. For a moment, Batman wondered if the boy had just fallen asleep. Maybe their talk would be better suited for the morning… But then he remember just how distraught Dick had been, as well as how lonely being an orphan could be at times - and that was more than enough motivation to push Batman into knocking on the door.

A couple seconds passed before he heard an answer. “I’m not hungry, Grandpa…”

“It’s me,” Batman corrected him through the door. When that didn’t get a reply, he asked, “Can I come in?”

“…Okay.”

Taking a deep breath, the Dark Knight slowly opened the door. Save for a small bedside lamp, the lights in the room were off. However, instead of laying down on the bed, Dick was sitting on the edge of it in his pajamas, holding himself tightly with his head hanging low. 

Batman started to walk over to him, but then stopped. After a moment of thought, he took off his cowl. His hair popped into place just as he sat down on the bed. For several moments, neither of them said a word. 

“…Batman,” Dick began suddenly, still keeping his head low, “Am… Am I grounded for just, leaving you to deal with the Joker alone like that?” 

Had it not been for the solemn situation, maybe Bruce would’ve smiled a bit at that. “Nah, not this time, kid,” he told him, shaking his head.

“Okay…” Dick winced slightly, squeezing his arms a bit. “Though, I’m still sorry about it. I-It wasn’t exactly a heroic thing to do…”

“It’s alright,” Bruce quietly insisted, “I… I understand why you had to leave.” Dick didn’t say anything, but the unmasked hero did see him blink a few times, trying his hardest to hold back his tears. 

“…I uh, already know the details of… of what you had to go through, but… if you wanna talk about it, I’m here to listen. And yeah, I know from personal experience that talking about this stuff isn’t exactly fun, but… admittedly, it does help.”

Again, Dick waited to give a reply, though it didn’t seem to be out of hesitation. Bruce could see that the boy was thinking, trying to figure out what he needed to say while separating thoughts from memories. So, Bruce was patient, and even glanced away from Dick, not wanting to inadvertently put pressure on him to say something he wasn’t ready to talk about. So, he just put a gentle hand on his shoulder, and waited. 

Eventually, Dick did start to speak, and began with one simple question: “D-Do you… Do you know why I wanted to get adopted so badly?”

Turning his gaze back over to the boy, Bruce slowly shook his head.

“It wasn’t because I wanted to r-replace them or, or anything like that. I’d never want to do that. Not ever. But, I just… I thought that, i-if I could just find a new family to be with, m-maybe- maybe it wouldn’t feel so bad.” Dick’s voice started to crack as the tears finally started to fall. Bruce’s frown deepened as he started to gently rub Dick’s back, soothing him the best he could.

Unfortunately for the time being, it didn’t seem to help much. “M-Maybe I wouldn’t feel as a-alone, and- and maybe it w-wouldn’t hurt as much… A-And it’s mostly work! I-I love being in a family with you and A-Alfred and Barbara! But…” He finally looked up at his adoptive father, eyes watery. “But… i-it never really stops hurting, does it?”

Bruce gave a small sigh. “No… It doesn’t,” he answered.

Dick sniffled, his lip now quivering a bit. Before he could say anything more, Bruce gently pulled him into a hug. Unable to help himself, the boy started to sob into his chest, occasionally mumbling things like “It’s not fair” and “I still miss them” and even “I’m sorry”. Whether he was apologizing for crying or for missing his parents - his mom and his _real_ dad - Bruce wasn’t sure.

But even so, Bruce just stayed silent and continued to hold him, rubbing his back and occasionally shushing him. It was what Alfred would do for him whenever he broke down as a child - and if it worked then, hopefully it would work now. 

It took a while (as was to be expected) but eventually Dick’s sobs did start to soften, though he still sniffled a bit as he held onto Bruce. “I know that… that they would want me to be happy, but… i-it’s hard sometimes… Really hard.”

“Yeah, I know…” Bruce agreed, giving another small sigh, “I know.” You could move on from death, you could even become a super-tough and awesome vigilante, but you could never truly forget… But, just like with the other emotions and feelings Bruce had been learning about lately, maybe that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. 

Bruce glanced up, gazing out the window and out towards the lights of Gotham. “…You’re right. They wouldn’t want you to feel sad all the time. They would want you to be happy, and make your own life for yourself - and trust me, you’re already doing a great job with that. And, in case you ever think otherwise, I know that they wouldn’t mind you meeting new people too. Making new friends, a new family… They wouldn’t want you feeling guilty over that stuff.”

He felt Dick give a small nod. “Can’t stop letting people in,” he quietly quoted, “Right?”

That time, Bruce did smile, just a little. “Right. But at the same time, as hard as it is… it’s okay to feel sad too.” 

“H-Huh? Dick sniffled.

Bruce closed his eyes. “No one says that you have to completely forget about them, or about how you feel. It’s… It’s alright to miss them… To wish that they were still here, or remember them, or even cry for a bit. It may not feel the greatest but, you don’t have to feel guilty about doing it either. …Better than always pretending or repressing it…” Like a certain bat-themed hero who maybe wasn’t the best role model, even if he usually meant well. 

“…Yeah” he heard Dick reply as he opened his eyes, the boy’s voice a lot steadier now, “I know.”

"Good. So, yeah…” He started to loosen his hug, but before the two of them completely separated, Bruce remembered one last thing he wanted to tell him. “And Dick?”

Dick glanced up at him. “Yeah, Batman?”

“Just- …For the times when it does hurt - when you need to cry or, or take a day off to mourn or anything like that - just remember that… I’m here for you. _We’re_ here for you. No matter what.”

“…” Even as a couple more tears fell from his eyes, they weren’t enough to stop Dick from smiling. “Heh, o-okay,” he said as he moved back into Bruce’s arms, hugging him tightly. And of course, Bruce returned the hug without hesitation. 

“…So,” the billionaire started to say once their hug ended, “I guess I should let you get some sleep now. I mean, it’s sorta late.” Though really it wasn’t THAT late, at least when compared to how late the two of them usually stayed up. Still, he wanted Dick to get some well-deserved rest.

But Dick, on the other hand… “Uh, yeah, I guess it is kinda late. But, I’m not really that sleepy. So…” He gave a bit of a sheepish look, staying close to his adoptive father’s side. “Maybe, we could just hang out the rest of the night?”

Thanks to being a pretty good detective, Bruce knew how to read between the lines - though even if he wasn’t, he would still know what the boy was trying to say. _You helped me feel better, but I still don’t really want to be alone right now._ Another feeling he could admit to having at times, even if he usually hid or ignored it. 

But he would do no such thing tonight. Instead, Bruce just smiled at him. “Yeah. Sounds like a good idea to me.”

Dick smiled back. “Thanks… Thanks, Padre.”

“No problem, kid.”

()()()()()()()()()

It was nearly sunrise when Alfred found the two of them on the couch in the living room. Bruce was still in his Batman costume, minus the cowl, while Dick was in his pajamas. Between the two of them on the coffee table was a plate of cookies. Or rather, there _had_ been a plate of cookies there, but now it was just crumbs. On the TV, an old recording of ‘The Gray Ghost’ (an old favorite of Bruce’s from his childhood) was continuing to play despite no one watching it. 

But none of those things were of any importance to Alfred. Instead, the butler could only focus on his two young masters, smiling softly as he watched them sleep. Dick was using his father’s lap as a pillow, and Bruce had a hand on his son’s shoulder. And, despite the rough night they’d had, it still looked like the two of them were having a peaceful sleep, not even waking up when Alfred placed a couple blankets over them. Surely a bit of sleeping in wouldn’t do the duo any real harm…

Given what they had went through at such young ages, the butler of course sympathized with the two of them greatly, but he also knew that they would be alright. Yes, the two orphans-turned-superheroes would always have a certain weight on their shoulders, and they would always have days where their hearts would be heavy as memories, both good and bad, played in their minds. They would always feel that loss… But they would also feel what they’ve gained over time, as well. 

It would always hurt, but at the same time, at least both of them now knew that they weren’t alone in their pain. Despite tragedy, they had found each other, and that was all that mattered.

**THE END**


End file.
